Percussion instrument



United States Patent 3,106,860 PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT Cedric H. Pilil, Box 415, Red Bluff, Calif. Filed Oct. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 146,724 4 Claims. (Cl. 84-402) This invention relates to percussion instruments and, more particularly, provides an instrument of this type which is especially suitable as a musical toy.

The percussion instrument of the invention comprises a stick of a novel configuration and in its preferred form a particular ratio of dimensions. The device is a solid piece of highly resilient material, preferably wood, formed with a handle connected to an elongated percussion portion. The device is played by grasping the handle between the thumb and first two fingers and rapping the percussion portion of the device against a solid object, such as a table edge, to produce a musical note. By striking the table edge at dilferent points of the percussion portion of the device, different notes are produced and a melody may be played.

Percussion instruments of the stick type have been used heretofore. For example, the familiar bandrnasters baton may be employed as a percussion instrument of a sort. The tone provided by the usual available percussion instrument is of an inferior quality and of a limited range.

it is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide a stick percussion instrument having superior tones.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stick percussion instrument cap-able of executing a diatomic and chromatic scale.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stick percussion instrument of a simplified design.

A still further object is to provide a musical toy that may be inexpensively manufactured and which may be enjoyed with little training.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following specification and the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of the percussion stick instrument of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the stick instrument taken from the site of line 2-2 of FIG. 1, with the scale of FIG. 2 being twice that of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views on twice the scale of FIG. 1 taken along the corresponding lines of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is an isometric view illustrating the playing of the percussion stick instrument of the invention.

T he percussion instrument of the invention comprises an elongated stick d made of a resilient material. The stick has a handle portion 1% designed to be grasped by the human hand and an elongated percussion portion 12 extending from the handle portion, the percussion portion flaring from a reduced diameter (FIG. 5) adjoining the handle ll? to a larger diameter (FIG. 3) at its other end. This inverted cone design of the percussion portion 12 is a crucial feature of the percussion instrument of the invention. The large diameter end of the percussion portion 12 desirably joins a short end portion 14 having a larger cross-sectional dimension than the maximum dimension of the percussion portion 12. The short end portion 14 enchances tone quality of the instrument by providing weight to promote bending of the percussion portion 12. The smallest diameter cross section of the percussion portion 12. (FIG. 5) is approximately one-half of the maximum cross-sectional dimension of the handle portion Ill and the largest diameter cross section of the percussion portion (FIG. 3) is approximately three-quarters of the maximum cross-sectional dimension of the hand portion. Preferably, the overall length of the stick is approximately 24 times its maximum cross-sectional dimension.

In the preferred form of the percussion stick of the invention as illustrated in FIG. 1, the handle portion 10 includes a cylindrical section 16 at the end of the stick 8 which is connected through a tapering section 18 to the small diameter end of the percussion portion 12. The end portion 14 of the instrument has a shoulder section 15 that terminates in a cylindrical section 17 having the same dimension as the cylindrical section of the handle 10. An end portion 14 having a shoulder designdefines the percussion portion 12 more clearly providing a more exact terminus to that portion. The end portion 14 may alternately taper from the large diameter end of the percussion portion to a diameter of the same dimension as the cylindrical section 16 but such a tapering end portion results in less definite tones than a shoulder design as illustrated.

T he percussion stick of the invention is preferably made of hardwood, for example, mahogany, hickary, oak, cedar, rosewood or the like. Hardwood has a resiliency which favors a stronger more definite tone than a less resilient material. Resilient materials othere than hardwood including resilient synthetic resins may be employed.

It has been explained above that a melody is played by striking the percussion portion 12 of the stick at different sites along its length. The range of the percussion stick of the preferred configuration and dimensions encompasses two octaves and all of the corresponding accidentals (sharps and flats) within the extreme low and high notes. It is possible with the device to execute a diatonic or chromatic scale. The lowest notes are obtained by striking or rapping the small diameter end of the percussion portion 12 against a solid edge as of a table. Tones of gradually ascending pitch are obtained as the stick is struck at each wider dimension of the percussion portion 12.

A percussion instrument of preferred dimensions possesses a dimensional ratio of approximately 3:7-%: 1% for the lengths of the first or handle portion ill, the percussion portion 12, and the end portion 14'. It will be appreciated that the overall length of the instrument may vary, but that in the preferred embodiment the dimensional ratio remains substantially unaltered. A convenient overall length is 12 inches. The cylindrical section 16 of the handle portion 10 is preferably twice as long :as the tapered section 18, measured along the axis of the stick. Similarly, the cylindrical section 17 of the end portion 14- is preferably twice as long as the tapering section 15. The particular diameter of the stick selected for the manufacture of the percussion instrument of the invention will indicate the graduated width of the taper of the percussion portion 12,, i.e., the narrowest part of the ercussion portion is preferably one-half the diameter of the widest part of the stick and the widest part of the percussion portion is three-quarters of the diameter of the widest part of the stick. The best tone is produced when the length of the stick is 24 times the dimension of its greatest width. The lengths of the handle and end portions 10 and it may be varied considerably without adversely affecting the tone.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications, and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A percussion instrument comprising:

an elongated round hardwood stick having axially aligned succeeding portions including a short first portion,

an elongated percussion portion extending from the first portion and being of substantially greater length Q .9 than said first portion, said percussion portion flaring from a reduced diameter having a dimension approximately one half of the Widest diameter of the first portion of the stick to a larger diameter having a dimension of approximately three quarters of the Widest diameter of the first portion of the stick, and a short end portion of larger cross-sectional dimension than the maximum cross-sectional dimension of the percussion portion, adjoining said percussion portion at the end opposite the first portion, said end portion being of substantially shorter length than the per cussion portion. 2. A percussion instrument in accordance with claim 1 to a larger diameter removed from the first portion with said small diameter being approximately one half of the maximum diameter of the first portion and With the larger diameter being approximately three quarters of the maximum cross-sectional dimension of the first portion, and a short end portion adjoining the percussion portion, said end portion having a maximum diameter approximately equal to the maximum diameter of the first portion and being of substantially shorter length than the percussion portion,

said stick having an overall length approximately twenty four times the maximum cross-sectional dimension of the stick.

wherein the overall length of the stick is approximately twenty four times the maximum cross-sectional dimension 1 of the first portion of the stick.

3. A percussion instrument comprising: an elongated round hardwood stick having three axially aligned succeeding portion including 4. A percussion instrument in accordance with claim 3 wherein the first portion, the percussion portion, and the end portion have lengths having a ratio of 3:7 4 1%.

References (Zited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Short first gm 20 1,038,482 Timmons Feb. 24, 1914 an elongated fiann-g percussion portion ad oining the 1269 511 Roberge June 11 1918 first portion and \being of substantially greater length than said first portion, said percussion portion taper- FOREIGN PATENTS ing from a small diameter adjoining the first portion 1,171,873 France .c Oct. 6, 1958 

1. A PRECUSSION INSTRUMENT COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED ROUND HARDWOOD STICK HAVING AXIALLY ALIGNED SUCCEEDING PORTIONS INCLUDING A SHORT FIRST PORTION, AN ELONGATED PERCUSSION PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE FIRST PORTION AND BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER LENGTH THAN SAID FIRST PORTION, SAID PERCUSSION PRORTION FLARING FROM A REDUCED DIAMETER HAVING A DIMENSION APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF OF THE WIDEST DIMETER HAVING A FIRST PORTION OF THE STICK TO A LARGE DIAMETER HAVING A DIMENSION OF APPROXIMATELY THREE QUARTERS OF THE WIDEST DIAMETER OF THE FIRST PORTION OF THE STICK, AND A SHORT END PORTION OF LARGE CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION THAN THE MAXIMUM CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION OF THE PERCUSSION PORTON, ADJOINING SAID PERCUSSION PORTION AT THE END OPPOSITE THE FIRST PORTION, SAID END PORTION BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY SHORT LENGTH THAN THE PERCUSSION PORTIN. 